Expanding collet



May 10, 1966 A. L. MGPHERSON EXPANDING COLLET B Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6, 1964 INVENTOR. fi/exmmefi Mc' fiensofl ATTORNEYS.

May 10, 1966 A. L. M PHERSON 3,250,479

EXPANDING COLLEI' Filed April 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A/exmmer L. Map/29mm United States Patent 3,259,479 EXPANDING COLLET Alexander L. McPherson, Prairie Village, Kane, assignor to Gustin-Bacon Manufacturing Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 357,550 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-465) This invention relates to mechanisms for drawing and winding packages of glass threads or strands, the latter typically of the type formed by gathering together a large number of attenuated glass filaments, and refers more particularly to mandrels or collet assemblies adapted to receive and rotatably drive cylindrical tubes upon which are wound such packages of glass threads or strands.

In the winding of fibers at high speeds, it is often desirable to Wind them upon a removable sleeve, made. of a some-what flexible material, placed upon a collet which, upon rotation, will expand and grip said sleeve. Previously available expanding collets have in common several disadvantages, in that they have exposed moving parts, which parts are subject to wear, contamination by the winding atmosphere and by the wound materials in such a way that the moving parts may readily become restricted in their movements, the latter generally due to binding actions of the contaminants between said moving parts and the carrying means.

When sufficient strand has been collected upon the removable sleeve, the package, comprising the sleeve and the quantity of wound fiber or strand thereon, is removed and another sleeve or core placed on the collet or spindle of the winding device. Typical winding apparatus and associated assemblies are seen in Case 2,955,772, Textile Fiber Winder issued October 11, 1960 and Higgins, Jr. 3,022,020 Fiber Drawing Apparatus issued February 20, 1962. In a winding room of a modern glass textile fiber source, there are very many winding machines requiring frequent removal of strand packages and replacement with empty sleeves. It is desirable, therefore, to be able to quickly disengage and remove the fully wound package from the windingmachine and replace it with the empty sleeve, The various arrangements heretofore used, such as those including keys, set screws, and the like for holding a sleeve on the winding machine drum or shaft, have all had additional disdvantages, such as the wear they produce on the sleeve and incovenience and loss of time entailed in changing sleeves or cores. In those types of collets or shafts including a spring actuated gripping mechanism for engaging the interior sleeve surface, it has been noted that centrifugal effects supplementing the spring forces acting radially on the gripping mechanism have resulted occasionally in bursting of the sleeve or tube,'

panding collet adapted to grip from inside a removable strand receiving sleeve emplaced thereon, said collet having no moving parts subject to wear, contamination by the winding atmosphere or by the wound materials, there being no way for contaminants to restrict the expansible movement of the collet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collet 13,25,479 Patented May 10, 1966 assembly having a lightweight structure which is thus responsive to rapid rotational acceleration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collet assembly of a simple design, such design minimizing manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collet assembly which is capable of high rotational speeds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a colletsleeve assembly which, upon rotation thereof, automatically engages a cylindrical, collet surrounding tube with a relatively gentle gripping action at a large number of positions on the tubes interior surface, whereby substantially eliminating the dangerous possibility of bursting a tube.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collet assembly, the interior of which is substantially sealed, whereby to prevent undesirable penetration of water, sizing, dust or dirt into the interior thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collet assembly which so expands a resilient winding sleeve positioned thereover as to result in no serious binding between the courses of the glass strand wound in a package around the sleeve.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, embodiments of the invention are shown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicate like parts.

FIG. 1 is the end view of a collet-sleeve assembly of the subject type embodying a first form of sleeve mounting and retaining means incorporated with said collet.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a view like that of FIG. 2 with the exception that the collet driving shaft is in rotation whereby to ex pand the sleeve mounting members outwardly in gripping relationship.

FIG. 4 is a view like that of FIG. 2 of the second form of collet assembly for mounting resilient sleeves to receive strand packages thereon.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of resilient sleeve engaging member.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a collet assembly showing a modified form of resilient sleeve engaging member.

FIG. 7 is a view like that of FIG. 6 showing yet a different form of sleeve engaging member.

FIG. 8 is a view like that of FIGS. 57, inclusive, showing yet another form of sleeve engaging member for the collet assembly.

FIG. 9 is a view like the four preceding showing yet another form of sleeve engaging member for the collet assembly.

FIG. 10 is a view like the five preceding showing yet a further form of resilient sleeve, engaging means.

FIGS. 15, inclusive, all show a collet assembly wherein resilient discs interleave nonresilient discs.

FIGS. 6l0, inclusive, show nonsilient discs abutting one another with the peripheries thereof so formed as to receive resilient members therebetween. The modifications of H68. 6 and 7 considerably resemble one another. The modifications of FIGS. 8 and 9 considerably resemble one another. These various forms will be taken up one by one.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, at 10 is seen a portion of a drive shaft connected to any suitable power source such as an electric motor. Shaft 19 has an end extension 11 of lesser diameter whereby to provide a circumferential shelf or ledge 12 at the end of shaft portion 10. The free end of lesser diameter shaft portion 11 is externally threaded as at 13 whereby to receive a nut 14 thereon. Mounted circumferentially of shaft portion 11 and encircling same are a plurality of rigid, typically metallic discs 15-19, inclusive. The latter are each provided with a central hole 15a19a, inclusive, each said opening or hole adapted to closely encircle the outer face of cylindrical lesser diameter shaft portion 11. Positioned between discs 15 and 16 is asingle disc of flexible material such as rubber, polyethylene, leather, etc. having a central opening 20a and a frusto-conical peripheral lip portion 20b, the disc 20 here so arranged that the lip portion 20b points inwardly of the rotor disc assembly. Positioned between discs 18 and 19 are a like disc 21 having like opening 21a and frusto-conical lip 21b.

Positioned between discs 16 and 17 are a pair of circular discs 22 and 23 each having a central opening 22a and 23a to encircle the shaft portion 11 and frusto-conical outer circumferential lip portions 22b and 23b, said lip portions preferably opposed to one another in outward extension as shown. between discs 17 and 18 there are provided discs 24 and 25 having central openings 24a and 25a and frusto-conical lip portions 24b and 25b, respectively.

A sleeve 26 of resilient material such as cardboard encircles the lip portions 20b-2Sb, inclusive, in slight frictional engagement, sufficient such frictional engagement to enable the commencement of winding of a strand package thereon. The assembly or disassembly of the collet structure involves merely the unscrewing of nut 14 and the successive removal of the rigid discs 19l5, in-

clusive, sandwiched by the resilient discs 2l20, inclusive.

The reassembly is accomplished in the reverse manner with the openings in the rigid and resilient discs acting to accurately position same around shaft portion 11 with one face of disc 15 abutting against the shelf or shoulder 12, one face of disc 19 abutting against the nut 14.

In FIG. 3, at 27 there is shown a strand of glass or other like material coming down from any suitable source such as a multi-orifice platinum bushing, the winding of the strand on sleeve 26 resulting in strand package 28. As the fiber draw is made along the strand line 27, the drag and resistance thereof tends to cause sleeve 26 to slip over the peripheral edges of the resilient discs or the-frusto-conical lip portions peripheral thereof. However, as the speed of rotation of shaft 10 and shaft portion 11 rises, the centrifugal force tends to move lip 20b in a counterclockwise arc (in the upper left-hand portion of FIG. 2), move the lip portions 23b and 22b toward one another, the same with respect to lip portions 24b and 25b and, finally, move lip portion 21b outwardly along a clockwise trajectory (in the upper right-hand portion of FIG. 2). Thus, in short, this action of centrifugal'force is to tend to straighten out the frusto-conical lip portions to align same more with the inner radial disc portions, thus exerting a greater interior force on the inner surface of sleeve 26 and gripping same more firmly. As the speed of rotation stops or slows down, this centrifugal force is less and the resilient lip portions tend to move back to their original position. Due to such relaxation of outwardly acting pressure on sleeve 26, the same can be easily removed from the collet assembly with the strand package thereon.

It will be seen that discs 20 and 21 and the outer lip portions 20b and 21b serve as circumferential seals to the entire inner collet assembly, in that contamination by the winding atmosphere and by the wound materials is comthe flexible disc members 2025, inclusive, reflects in the Likewise, in similar manner,

inherent light weight of the expanding member portions thereof and the consequent small amount of pressure which is applied to the removable sleeve upon application of centrifugal force.

FIG. 4 shows a construction identical in all details to the construction of FIG. 2, with the exception that an additional flexible disc is employed between the outer disc members on each end of the lesser diameter shaft portions whereby to provide a two-point outer seal at each end of the collet assembly thus affording less opportunity for internal contamination, etc. In view of this identity of parts, all parts identical between FIGS. 2 and 4 are numbered the same, but primed. The two additional discs are numbered 29 and 30 and have central openings 29a and 30a and peripheral frusto-conical lip portions 2% and 30b. Optionally, also, plates 15' and 19', which are shown of lesser thickness in FIG. 2 in view of the fact that there is no outwardly extending disc on either end of the assembly in that view may be modified to be equal or greater thickness to discs 16-18, inclusive, whereby to provide that sleeve 26 overlie discs 15' and 19', rather than lip portions 2% and 30b. Another possible advantage of the construction of FIG. 4 is that two additional contact points whereby to provide a larger number of sleeve engaging points or lines are provided.

The distance between contact points on the inside of the sleeve may be varied by varying the shape of the resilient members, varying the thickness of the rigid discs, varying the angle of extension of the frusto-conical portions of the resilient discs and the free lengths thereof, etc.

FIG. 5 shows a construction wherein two rigid discs 30 receive therebetween a resilient disc 31 whose free outer portion 31a normally lies substantially parallel to the outer surfaces of the discs or concentric thereto. Rotation of the discs 30 and 31 tends to move the free end portion 31a of resilient disc 31 outwardly whereby to contact a sleeve mounted thereon. 1

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate constructions wherein rigid discs 32 have formed circumferentially. of the outer and abutting face portions thereof as at 32a channels or grooves which are adapted to'receive the base .33 of a resilient member having a free flanged portion 33a. The distinction between the flange portions 33a of FIGS. 6 and 7 are the same as between the free resilient disc portions of the resilient discs of, say, FIGS. 4 and 5, namely, that the FIG. 6 flange 33a is frusto-conical, while the 33a portion of FIG. 7 designated 33a is essentially cylindrical or ring-like, and concentric to the outer faces of the rigid disc 32.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show rigid discs 34 with groove portions 34a formed therein substantially in the manner of the grooves 32a in FIGS. 6 and 7. These grooves receive a transverse section triangular shape base portion 35a analogous to the base portions 33 of FIGS. 6 and 7 while having V-shaped extensions (in transverse section) as at 36 in FIG. 8 or T-shaped extensions in transverse section) as seen at 37 in FIG. 9. The V-arms of FIG. 8 move outwardly as two frusto-conical flanges under centrifugal force. The T-arms of member 37 in FIG. 9 likewise move outwardly from positions analogous to the flanges in FIGS. 5 and 7.

FIG. 10 shows a plurality of rigid rings 38 having grooves 38a formed in the facing peripheries thereof whereby to receive resilient rings 39 therein of transverse section triangular shape. Such rings 39 may be connected by a resilient bridge of material 40, which bridge will belly out centrally or assume conical shape in transverse section upon application of centrifugal force to the assembly.

If collect elements are fastened together before being placed on the drive shaft, various means may be employed for holding the collet on the shaft, such as a nut and a tapered shaft or a key-way and set screw. While FIGS. 1-5, inclusive, tend to indicate that a resilient disc with a resilient edge is the preferred form, it should be noted that the forms of FIGS. 6-10, inclusive, demonstrate that the edge portion only need be resilient. The base rings 33, 35a and 39 may be of lesser resilience than the outer portions. Likewise, the inner disc or ring portion 31 need not be as resilient as the outer portion 31a. The various figures indicate that the flexible lip members may point either toward the outer or inner end of the collet, toward both or either,

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all metter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A rotatable mandrel construction for holding a tube upon which a glass strand or the like is wound to form a package comprising a drive shaft, a plurality of relatively rigid disc members mounted on and encircling a portion of said drive shaft, a plurality of pairs of said relatively rigid disc members each having received therebetween at least one relatively resilient ring, each said relatively resilient ring having a pair of peripheral edge portions diverging outwardly from one another in transverse section positioned circumferential to an inward portion thereof received between said pairs of relatively rigid discs and means gripping the said relatively rigid discs and relatively resilient rings in an array on said drive shaft.

2. A construction as in claim 1 wherein said relatively resilient ring inward portion is substantially triangular in transverse section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,073 11/ 1938 Cooper 242-465 2,697,561 12/1954 Curtis 242-46.5 2,755,027 7/ 1956 Jones et al. 242-465 3,048,002 8/1962 lost 242-465 X 3,099,411 7/ 1963 Geen 24246.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 745,403 8/ 1954 Germany. 795,531 5/ 1958 Great Britain.

STANLEY N, GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROTATABLE MANDREL CONSTRUCTION FOR HOLDING A TUBE UPON WHICH A GLASS STAND OR THE LIKE IS WOUND TO FORM A PACKAGE COMPRISING A DRIVE SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY RIGID DISC MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID ENCIRCLING A PORTION OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SAID RELATIVELY RIGID DISC MEMBERS EACH HAVING RECEIVED THEREBETWEEN AT LEAST ONE RELATIVELY RESILIENT RING, EACH SAID RELATVELY RESILIENT RING HAVING A PAIR OF PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS DIVERGING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE ANOTHER IN TRANSVESE SECTION POSITIONED CIRCUMFERENTIAL TO AN INWARD PORTION THEREOF RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID PAIRS OF RELATIVELY RIGID RIGID DISCS AND MEANS GRIPPING THE SAID RELATIVELY RIGID DISCS AND RELATIVELY RESILIENT RINGS IN AN ARRAY ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT. 